A smiling Steve Robison watched in amazement yesterday as an 18-inch-long silver truck zipped
down a straightaway and zoomed over mounds of dirt.

The Pataskala resident, 62, sat on the circular wall surrounding the indoor remote-control track
at Sparks Park RC Raceway on the Far East Side.

On the platform behind him stood 10-year-old granddaughter Kendal, who pressed buttons and
twisted knobs on a hand-held device, piloting the truck through the course.

Grandpa was impressed.

“This is the first time this girl has been on the track,” he said. “These kids, with their video
games — their hand-eye coordination is so good.”

Also at the track with Robison were two other grandkids: Kendal’s sister, Tate, 13; and cousin
Grady Dowler, 10. They were all visiting — Tate and Kendal from Saline, Mich.; and Grady from
Phoenix.

A remote-control racer for about five years, Robison was checking out the track on the first day
it opened after new owner Glenn Sparks bought it in June and rebuilt the course, expanding it to
140 feet long and 70 feet wide.

So fresh was the paint on the track wall that it remained tacky yesterday. (And the sign
outside, not yet updated, says En Hobbies.)

The track today will host a race, the Ohio State Off-Road Championships, sanctioned by the Radio
Control Racing Association of America.

Sparks, 46, of Lancaster, got involved in the hobby through 18-year-old daughter Brittney, who
competes in motocross. During downtimes at motocross events, he said, people often race
remote-control cars.

“It’s fun, and you don’t hurt yourself,” Sparks said. “The competition is really good, and it’s
a close-knit group of people.”

The vehicles are either one-eighth- or one-tenth-scale replicas of actual race cars or trucks.
They can be powered by fuel or battery, and racers can compete in a variety of classes, designed
for all vehicle types and driver skill levels.

Robison estimated that a newcomer might spend $500 combined for a vehicle, battery and charger.
Serious racers can spend much more.

“There are professional drivers, backed by manufacturers, who make six figures a year racing
these cars,” said Robert Smith, media director for the racing association. “Those guys, without
blinking, can have $7,000 in a vehicle.”

During a two-hour period yesterday afternoon, about a dozen people wandered in and out of the
track, many of them eager to give their cars a go.

Heath resident Mike Mills, known by the nickname “Taco,” suffers from a severe form of arthritis
that has relegated him to a wheelchair since 2004.

About that time, the self-described “gear-head” got involved in remote-control racing. The
35-year-old still races, but he’s more likely to build, paint or repair the cars.

“I figured, if I can’t drive the real thing, I’ll just drive a smaller thing,” he said.

Groveport resident Randy Rader stopped in during his workday to see the new track. A racer of
remote-control vehicles for about 18 years, he figures he spends an average of two weeknights
practicing and one weekend day racing each week.

“Once I started, I just got hooked,” said the 50-year-old, who will compete today.

“You see a lot of families out here, too — dads getting their kids involved. So that’s
nice."